As the Dallas Cowboys usher in a new era under head coach Brian Schottenheimer, eyes have naturally gravitated toward exciting additions, strategic changes, and other new elements of this franchise. But lost amid the chatter of offseason moves, contract talks, and organizational shifts, one name is emerging as perhaps the team’s most pivotal wildcard for 2025: edge rusher Sam Williams.Forgotten by some after a season-ending injury last summer, Williams is poised for a breakout that could fundamentally reshape the Cowboys defense.
Williams’ trajectory was set to soar entering 2024, but a knee injury in training camp kept him sidelined the entire season. With training camp now on the horizon, reports (courtesy of the The Athletic) indicate Williams is healthy and expected to be back in the rotation. This by itself could be the biggest upgrade all offseason for this beleaguered Cowboys defense.
The numbers support the optimism around Williams. The young edge defender was a solid playmaker as he worked through the Cowboys pass rushing rotation behind veteran players such as DeMarcus Lawrence. Lawrence is now gone and Dallas is looking for his replacement to emerge. And Williams seems perfectly suited for that role, at least when it comes to getting after the quarterback.
In the two seasons prior to his injury, Williams’ pass rush productivity measured up remarkably well against the recently departed Lawerence. According to Pro Football Focus, Lawrence and Williams posted nearly identical pass rush grades—both sitting around the mid-70s across 2022 and 2023, with Williams only narrowly trailing.
But the truly eye-opening stat? Williams achieved quality production numbers in far fewer opportunities. While Lawrence logged just under 900 pass rushing snaps over two seasons and recorded 11 sacks, Williams, with only 384 pass rushing snaps (roughly 500 fewer than Lawrence), managed nine sacks. That’s nearly the same sack output with less than half the playing time. It’s easy to imagine how productive Williams could’ve been and can be with more repetitions.
DeMarcus Lawrence’s absence leaves a glaring opening opposite Micah Parsons. Veterans like Dante Fowler, young defenders like Marshawn Kneeland, and rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku will vie for that position. But it’s Williams who offers the highest ceiling as Parsons’ every-down edge partner.
If Williams can stay healthy, he projects as the new No. 2 pass rusher and a foundational piece for defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus’ unit. Cowboy’s opponents will obviously be focusing on Parsons which means the no. 2 pass rusher will get plenty of one-on-one opportunities. As that potential No. 2, Williams is perfectly poised to take advantage of those changes.
With a new coaching staff and additions up and down the roster, the Cowboys can’t afford to overlook their own internal breakout candidates. Williams is precisely the kind of low-risk, high-upside player who could shift the balance of power in the NFC East if he blossoms. And all signs indicate he’s ready to take the next step.
There are many young Cowboys, including many rookies, that seem poised to break out as stars this upcoming season. Sam Williams stands out as the forgotten name with the largest upside. The only question now is whether a healthy offseason and increased workload will finally allow him to realize the sky-high potential scouts saw when he was selected as a second-round pick.
Disclaimer: The content of this article was originally published as a YouTube video on the Saturday Morning Inspection YouTube channel. With AI assistance, the publisher of the video created this article based on the content of that video.
